Method of and apparatus for casting, trimming and internally threading a product



May 20, 1958 2,834,972

l5 "i 37 2 4 22 a & 2 7 T V E g E E vs $53.4 2 E ii i E '38 45 '50 g INVENTOR. 42 37 X 44 46 LOWS nmoam A T'TORN E Y United States Patent .METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING, TRIMMING AND INTERNALLY THREADING A PRODUCT Louis Morin, Bronx, N. Y.

Application February 1, 1956, Serial No. 562,716

3 Claims. (CI. -86) This invention relates to apparatus for forming, in a continuous operation, a die cast product, trimming the same and, then, internally threading the product and final delivery of the product .to a receiving station. More particularly, the invention deals with a method for producing products, as defined, wherein means is provided, at the casting station and movable relatively to said :station, for delivering the cast product to the trimming .and threading stations and in feed of the product onto the threading means .at the threading station, preparatory :to forming the next successive casting.

The novel features of theinvention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying-drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. lis a diagrammatic sectional view through the several stations of the apparatus for carrying out my improved method.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing part of the construction of Fig. 1, with parts in a different position and illustrating the feed of a cast product onto and in operative engagement with the tap.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In carrying my method into elfect, I provide in the successive production of products of the type and kind under consideration, a series of stations, namely a casting or forming station 10, a trimming station 11, a threading station 12 and a delivery station 13.

At the casting station is diagrammatically shown a face view of one part 14 of a die for casting a hexagon nut blank 15, including a gate 16. At 17 is diagrammatically shown an injection nozzle of an injection moulding machine for pressure injecting the casting material into the die 14 in forming the nut blank 15.

The die 14 is also fashioned to receive a core pin 18, the pin forming a hole in the central portion of the nut blank and also serving to support the blank 15 in separation of the die halves, as will be apparent. The core pin 18 has an end 19 protruding downwardly beyond the lower surface of the die and extending to a point beyond the trimming station 11 and into close proximity with a tap 20 supported at the threading station 12.

Slidably' mounted on the core pin 18 is a stripper and delivery sleeve 21, which normally is positioned above the upper surface of the die, as will be seen from a consideration of Fig. l, and then when the die halves are opened, the sleeve 21 is moved down along the core pin 18 in stripping the nut blank 15 from the pin 18 and in delivering and feeding the blank 15 onto the rounded end portion 22 of the tap 20, this feeding operation continuing until the tap 20 has established a definite threading engagement with the blank 15, as partially seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The rate of feed of stripper 21 is the speed with which it moves down on core 2,834,972 Patented May 20, 1958 .upper end of whichis secured a pair of spaced bracket plates 24, secured in position by screws 25 which also support a guide plate 26, which bridges the brackets 24; the guide plate 26 includes centrally an upward extension 27, as clearly noted in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The brackets 24 also support, in spaced relation to the plate 26, a knife block 28, having an upper sharpened cutter end 29, clearly noted in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the end 29 protruding above the brackets 24, as well as above the end 22 of the tap 20 and also to a point above the lower end 19 of the core pin 18.

Brackets 24, together with the plate 26 and block 28, form the guide socket or channel 30 of the threading station 12, the socket serving to support the nut blanks in their passage along the tap 20 in completing the threading operation.

In th foregoing operation of feeding the nut blank 15 downwardly along the pin 18, it will be apparent that the gate 16 is trimmed from the cast blank, as the blank passes over the cutting edge 29 of the knife block 28. The blank will drop into the space 31 of the station 12 and, thus, into the annular shield 32, constituting part of the delivery station, the shield 32 and its associated parts being later described.

The lower end portion of the tap 20 includes a curved or bent end portion 33 positioned substantially centrally of a curved passage 34 in a head or holder 35, the latter including a downwardly extending shaft 36 operating in spaced bearings 37 of a tubular body portion 38 constituting part of the shield 32. In other words, the more or less cup-like shield 32 extends integrally and upwardly from the tubular portion 38, as clearly noted in Fig. l of the drawing. The shield 32 envelopes and houses the lower enlarged portion 39 of the head 35 so that threaded nuts or other products 15' can be delivered through the discharge opening 34' of the passage over the protruding end 33' of the curved or bent portion 33 of the tap into the chamber 40 of the shield.

It will appear, from a consideration of Fig. 1, that the head 35 terminates short of the lower end of the station 12 and that the shield has a large opening 41 at the top thereof, into which the trimmed gates 16 can be passed into the chamber 40; thus, the trimmed gates, as well asthe finished products, 15 can be be discharged from the chamber 40 through the chute 42 to a suitable receptacle, the latter not being shown, the chute 42 con stituting the delivery station of the apparatus.

it will appear that the tubular portion 38 is supported upon the lower portion of the plate 23 by screws 43. Fixed to the lower reduced end 44 of the shaft 36 by means of a key 45 is a drive pulley 46, driven by a belt 47 operated from a suitable driving source, the latter being omitted, as it forms no direct part of the invention.

The timing of forming the cast blanks 15 and delivering the same to the end 22 of the tap 20 will be such as to provide a predetermined spacing of the blanks 15 at the upper end of the tap, which spacing is diagrammatically illustrated by the dimension 48 of Fig. 2 of the drawing.

However, as the tapped products are delivered beyond the threaded portion of the tap onto the rod 33, the products will then stack on the rod, in a manner such as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 and gradually be fed downwardly over the rod 33 and delivered into the chamber 40. The speed of rotation of the shaft 36, including the head 35, will govern the speed of tapping operation and this can be proportioned to the speed of forming the cast blank 15 and delivering, feeding and 3 holding the same upon the upper end portion 22 of the tap 20, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The rate of feed of the tap is the speed that a nut. blank travels down the tap as the thread is cut. This is a function of the pitch and feed of rotation of the tap. The rate of feed of the stripper 21 may be less than or equal to the rate of feed of the tap.

It will be understood that, after the proper delivery and feed of the blank 15 onto the tap has been performed, the sleeve or element 21 is moved up quickly and the dies are then closed to receive the next successive casting charge, forming the next successive blank. It will be apparent that the core pin 18 forms means for guiding the product blank to the trimming and threading stations.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of producing products of the character described, which consists in providing, in associated relationship to each other, a casing station, a trimming station, a threading station and a delivery station, first forming a cast product blank at the casing station on a core pin extending from the casting station to a position beyond the trimming station and adjacent the threading station, then moving a delivery element longitudinally of the core to first deliver the cast product to the trimming station to trim the product, then delivering the product to the threading station and actuating said element to positively feed the product blank into operative position with threading means at said threading station, the rate of feed of said element being no greater than the rate of feed of said tap, guiding and retaining the product against rotation at the thread station and then discharging the finished threaded product to the delivery station for delivery to a suitable receiver.

aaaaora 2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a die casting machine including suitable dies for forming a product blank, core means upon which said blank is removably supported, means for moving said blank on said core means, a trimming blade adjacent said core means and adapted to trim the gate from said cast product blank during movement of said blank on said core means, a tap adjacent the end of said core means'and adapted to receive said blank, the rate of feed of said second mentioned means being no greater than the rate of feed of said tap, means for rotating said tap in said blank to thread the same, guiding and retaining the product against rotation at the thread station and means to discharge the threaded product from said tap.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a die casting machine including suitable dies for forming a product blank, core means upon which said blank is removably supported, means for moving said blank on said core means and finally oil? the end thereof, a trimming blade adjacent said core means and adapted to trim the gate from said cast product blank during movement of said blank on said core means, a tap adjacent the end of said core means and adapted to receive said blank as it is moved off said core means, the rate of feed of said second mentioned means being no greater than the rate of feed of said tap,'means for rotating said tap in said blank to thread the same, means for guiding and retaining the product against rotation during the threading thereof and means to discharge the threaded product from said tap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,086 Johnson Aug. 18, 1936 2,581,854 Gries Jan. 8, 1952 2,749,561 Rush June 12, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,834,972 May 20, 1958 Louis Ho Morin It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 21, for "th" read the column 3, lines 20 and 22, for "casing" read casting Signed and sealed this 8th day of July 1958.,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho vAXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents 

